Chapter Text
"I've been starting to think that maybe the ability to change is fine, not needing to commit to one thing all the time"
"how about that?"
Zooble was about to reply with some equally half-&$$ed quip when they looked closer at the snarky purple rabbit in front of them.
Something about the way Jax looked away when he said that, he looked... Different than he usually did when making fun of everyone, troubled, even. But why? Why this topic in particular??
Upon noticing this, Zooble remembered the reason they had even approached Jax in the first place. It certainly wasn't to argue; it was to check in on him. They'd noticed an unusual lack of purple bunnies tormenting them and their friends, and figured something MUST be wrong.
This hunch was only emboldened when they saw Jax sitting alone, and even when he had made a snappy comment at them just a minute ago, Zooble could tell his heart wasn't in it.
Which brought them back to the issue at hand: Jax had some sort of personal problem with their avatar gimmick, or something related to it, it seemed.
Internally praying that this wasn't a case of some secret bigotry of Jax's that Zooble was gonna regret unearthing, they decided to finally reply to him, hoping to get an elaboration of some kind. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
Jax's response was quick, clearly he wasn't thinking his words through as much before he spoke.
"What I mean, is that it's hardly some revelation that your gimmick isn't so bad, and any one of us would've been SO MUCH more grateful for that gift than you are!! I would've been more grateful than you are..."
Woah.
As he had spoken, his later words left his mouth in a snarl as his face contorted in disgust. (or was it jealousy? Zooble was unsure. No wait, it was definitely jealousy... Wait, JEALOUSY!??)
Ok... So he was jealous, of their changeable body? But why?? They were determined to find out, so they prodded further. "You know, if you're having any issues with how you see yourself, you can talk to us, right? We won't judge. I certainly wouldn't"
Bad move, apparently.
Jax shot up, turning away from them as he began to speak "Good thing I don't have any issues, and I don't appreciate your little implication at the end there. I'm nothing like you. Do you know what I would give to be like you? To get to choose? To get to be anything but this?" Jax gestures toward his entire body "It doesn't matter. I get on with my life, congrats on figuring out that you should too I guess" he finished with a badly-hidden shake in his voice before walking away "Don't read too much into this".
Zooble, of course, immediately began reading into it.
Once he'd left in a huff, Zooble was completely dumbfounded. They thought back to previous instances they'd noticed of Jax being uncomfortable with his appearance, and one instance stood out in particular...
The dress... That f@£&ing maid dress.
"Oh s#!+..."
Zooble thinks they know what Jax's issue is.